Chapter 3

"Watch her! She's on the verge of tears. It's so amusing!"

A wave of harsh, biting laughter filled the air, disrupting the refined atmosphere of the reception area.

Another female stepped up, linking her arm with Jessica's as if they were allies.

"Are you aware of who this is?" she barked, her tone filled with disdain as she glared at me. "This is Jessica—Scott's former sweetheart. If she hadn't gone overseas, do you really believe you'd have had any chance with Scott?"

She paused for effect, savoring the moment before delivering her final jab. "Even a simpleton should know their place. How could you possibly measure up to Jessica?"

I felt a lump in my throat and my eyes welling up, but I fought back the tears. I clenched my hands and stood firm, my voice quivering but audible.

"I have a name. I'm Nadia, not 'simpleton.'" I stood tall, facing their mocking stares. "I'm Scott's spouse, and you can't intimidate me. Your behavior is unacceptable!"

The words felt odd coming out of my mouth, almost robotic, as if I was reciting something I'd learned long ago. In a way, I was—Scott had taught me those exact words when we were young.

Back then, when other children mocked me, called me names, or bullied me, Scott would always intervene, protecting me like a small guardian.

"You're not a simpleton," he'd say resolutely. "You're Nadia. They're the ones being impolite, not you."

But today, when I tried to stand up for myself, my words only intensified their laughter. Their amusement was malicious, reverberating through the space like a stifling fog.

"Ha! Everyone, come see—this is Scott's wife!"

"Oh my, she's as simple-minded as they claim!"

"What was Scott thinking? Marrying someone like her? How does he rest easy?"

The insults kept coming, one after another until I couldn't bear it anymore. The burden of their mockery pressed down on me like a crushing wave.

I leapt to my feet, my voice shaking with rage and desperation. "Enough! Stop saying these things! You're all terrible people!" I pushed them away, my hands trembling. "Why are you tormenting me? I've done nothing to you!"

My voice grew louder, breaking under the pressure. "If you don't leave me alone, I'll tell Scott to handle you!"

The woman next to Jessica scoffed, her expression oozing with contempt.

"Ha, do you honestly believe Scott would defend you?" she sneered.

"Everyone in the area knows Scott is smitten with Jessica. He'd do anything for her." She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a vicious whisper that stung like a knife. "If Jessica hadn't gone to Europe and broken his heart, do you truly think he would've ever obeyed his grandfather and married you?"

Her words hit a sensitive spot so deep that I lost all restraint. Seizing the glass of juice before me, I smashed it on the ground. The piercing sound of breaking glass echoed through the room, catching everyone's attention.

"Leave!" I yelled, my voice hoarse. "Don't speak to me, don't surround me!"

Tears flowed down my cheeks as I wept uncontrollably, my chest heaving with each sob.

"You're all awful people! Every last one of you!"

"Scott! Scott, where are you? Come rescue me!"

'I'm such a fool. I don't know how to manage my emotions.' The thought echoed in my mind as I sat there, my chest constricting with a familiar, overwhelming sense of powerlessness. I didn't know how to stop the downward spiral once it began. When anxiety took hold, enveloping me like a vice, I had no idea how to cope.

At that moment, Jessica moved forward and reached for my hand, her voice calming, almost motherly. "Nadia, what's the matter? Nadia?" she said gently. "Don't cry. It's alright, it's alright. Everyone's just joking—they don't mean any harm."

She bent down slightly, trying to meet my tear-filled gaze. "It's okay, Nadia. Don't be afraid. I'm here."

But her soothing tone couldn't drown out the whispers spreading through the hall.

"Is that Scott's wife? First time seeing her at a gathering, and she's already causing a commotion," a woman remarked.

Another one chimed in, "You don't know? That's the woman Donald Kennedy forced Scott to wed. They say she had a severe fever as a child, and it left her... not quite right mentally."

The one right behind Jessica and Nadia even commented, "Wow, so it's true. She really is simple-minded. What was Grandpa thinking? Jessica seems so much better—sensible, attractive, compassionate..."

Their whispers felt like knives, each one cutting into me, leaving me exposed and vulnerable. But through my tears, I forced myself to look at Jessica.

At that instant, she leaned in close, her lips grazing my ear. Her tone shifted, her voice low and dripping with malice, meant for only me to hear.